


Wheel of Misfortune

by splode1



Series: PMD: Moonlight Illusion [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Friendship/Love, Mystery, Other, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 11:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11080560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splode1/pseuds/splode1
Summary: Darwin and Alsia work with authorities to investigate the appearance of a mysterious apparition.





	Wheel of Misfortune

            Down a darkened boulevard of Nocture town, a lustrous Swanna carries a small parasol as she makes her way back from a party. She was in a pleasant mood, her mind wandering freely as she walked home. The fabric of her parasol glittered in the moonlight as she turned a corner into a shadowy alleyway. Light began fading around her as she walked deeper into the alley. A draft of chilly air pushed against her body. She covered herself with one wing as she continued forward.

            _Creak, creak._

            A slow, creaking noise could be heard in the darkness ahead of her. This startled her, though she immediately dismissed it as an open window, swinging in the breeze. The darkness of the alleyway combined with a light mist, obscuring her vision further.

            _Hm,_ she thought to herself, _did I perhaps go the wrong way?_ She looked around for a familiar building of some sort, but could not see much beyond the mist and shadows.

_Creak, creak._

            The creaking noise was very loud this time, and she shivered. She looked around for the source of the noise. She did not find a swinging door, but she did find a young Ducklett standing a few yards behind her. She did not know a Ducklett lived in these parts.

            “Hello, there. Are you lost, too?” she inquired.

            The Duckling stared at her intensely. “Are you my mom?” he asked.

            The Swanna became concerned. She had a son named Gale, who passed away at a very early age. He had a very unfortunate accident when exploring a dungeon with a few of his rambunctious friends… His friends were severely injured, and Gale did not make it out alive. This young Duckling could not possibly be her very own son.

            And yet, the opalescence of his eyes…

            “My name is Gale,” the Duckling stated flatly. “Are you my mom?”

            The Swanna raised a wing to cover her mouth. _No, this is impossible…_ she thought. _Could he really be my Gale?_ She approached him, raising a wing to touch his face.

            Gale opened his mouth, and a horrifying sound emanated from it.

_Creeeeeaaaak…_

            Gale’s form faded away. The Swanna gasped, frozen in place. She could not move her limbs. The darkness closed in on her. She did not see, hear, or feel anything as the darkness swallowed her whole.

 

 

            Darwin and Alsia walk through the Expedition Legion Headquarters, about to head out for their next adventure. A Trumbeak calls out to them as they pass by.

            “Darwin. Alsia. May I speak with you two?”

            “Oh, hello Zachary,” Alsia replies. “What seems to be the matter?”

            “I just had a word with Vim.” He motions to the Vikavolt standing next to him, who is speaking with a teary-eyed Swanna. “Madame Cabella was walking home late last night when she encountered a very strange apparition.”

            This seemed to spark interest in Darwin. “An apparition? Of what, exactly?”

            “…That’s what we’re having trouble figuring out. She won’t give us much information beyond that. She heard a strange creaking, found a bizarre apparition behind her, and blacked out. She woke up near the outskirts of town, and claimed that she had been robbed. It would really help us if we had two legion members investigate the area tonight and report anything unusual.”

            Alsia turned to Darwin, who gave a nod of approval. “Sounds like it could be interesting.”

            Zachary gave Vim a nudge. “Hey, Vim. We have a couple of members here who might be interested.”

             Vim immediately jolted to face the direction of Darwin and Alsia. The appearance of the Vikavolt was nothing short of frightening as he stared at them with glowing eyes. “ZZT. AFFIRMATIVE. DETAILS AND LOCATION OF SCENE WILL BE GIVEN ONCE WE BEGIN SEARCHING TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR OFFERING A HAND IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION.”

            Alsia stood petrified, still startled by the Vikavolt’s appearance. Darwin quickly came to his senses and attempted to be courteous in return. “We’re here to help in any way we can.”

            “Good, good,” Zachary exclaimed. “Looks like we’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough. You shouldn’t need to worry much longer, Madame--“

            But Madame Cabella had her eyes fixed on the ground as she cradled herself in her wings. She was focused on something else entirely, her mind detached far from reality. _Should I tell them?_ she pondered. _That I saw my own dead son standing before me, in flesh and blood?_ She began to wonder if she had been hallucinating, or perhaps something strange had been put into her drink at the party. _Am I insane?_ she thought to herself. _Is this all my fault?_

            Noticing that Madame Cabella had fallen back into despair, Zachary motioned for Alsia and Darwin to leave for now.

 

 

            Evening once again reclaimed Nocturne Town. Darwin and Alsia returned from a short expedition and met with Vim in front of the Expedition Legion Headquarters.

            “ZZZT. OUR DESTINATION APPEARS TO BE NEAR THE HARBOR. THIS IS WHERE MADAME CABELLA HAD AWOKEN. WE WILL BEGIN SEARCHING THERE.”

            Darwin seemed skeptical. “Hold on, how do we know there will be any clues there? We don’t know where Madame Cabella had blacked out. She could have just been moved to a different location.”

            “GIVEN HER DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA BEFORE SHE ENCOUNTERED THE APPARITION, SHE APPEARED TO BE WALKING TOWARDS HOME BEFORE TAKING AN INCORRECT TURN. NOT MANY ROADS COULD HAVE LED HER ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE HARBOR HAD SHE CONTINUED WALKING FROM THERE.”

            This time, Alsia was the one to inquire further. “Do we have any other leads to work with?”

            “YES… SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED BEFORE.”

            The Dartrix and Brionne opened their eyes in shock. “Wait, really?” asked Alsia. “How come we haven’t heard about this before?”

            “I DID NOT QUITE BELIEVE IT MYSELF THE FIRST TIME. WE DECIDED NOT TO TELL THE PUBLIC TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY PANIC. A MACHOKE HAD BEEN WORKING NEAR THE HARBOR LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THEY TOO ENCOUNTERED A STRANGE APPARITION.”

            Darwin pressed for more details. “What kind of apparition was it, though?”

            “WE STILL DO NOT KNOW… THEY REFUSED TO TELL US THE FORM OF THE APPARITION, JUST AS MADAME CABELLA REFUSED TO TELL US EARLIER TODAY. BUT IN BOTH INSTANCES, THEY ALSO ENCOUNTERED A STRANGE MIST AND AN ODD CREAKING SOUND. WE CAN SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT THE HARBOR IS A LOCATION OF INTEREST.”

            And thus, they set off towards the harbor. Vim suggested that they start by circling the perimeter of the area; he would go around in one direction, while the other two go in the opposite direction.

            Darwin and Alsia turned a corner, continuing between a row of old warehouses. A frigid blast of air landed on them as they approached the other side. Alsia began to shiver, so Darwin attempted to cover her body with one wing. They noticed a soft mist began to develop around them, eventually obscuring their vision significantly. Darwin began to slow his pace.

            “I feel something…”

            “Huh?”

            “The way the air brushes up against my feathers… I’ve felt this before…”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I've felt something very similar to this when I was a child… Long before I met you… My friends used to think I was insane because I could sense something that they could not…”

            “What did you sense?”

            “You’ll never believe it.”

            “Come on, just tell me.”

            “Spirits. I can sense spirits.”

            “Wait, really?”

            “Yes.” They walked in silence for a bit.

            “I think that’s pretty cool, actually.”

            “…You won’t judge me?”

            “Of course not! I could never judge you for something like that. You’ve done so much for me already, not to mention that you’re the most important person in my life. I think you’re a super cool person.”

            Alsia looked up at Darwin, who she knew would be blushing uncontrollably. The fact that he tried to hide it made him even more adorable. He reached his arm all the way around her to give her a hug. After sharing this brief moment between themselves, they decided to press onwards.

            Turning another corner, they walked slowly along the row of warehouses, waiting for a noise or apparition. They stopped suddenly as the creaking noise began.

_Creak, creak._

            “Do you hear that?” whispered Alsia.

            “Shh. Keep listening.” The noise returned, much louder this time.

_Creak, creak._

            They followed the sound through the thickening mist.

            “The spirits are increasing in number. We must be getting close.” Suddenly, there was a scream. Darwin looked beside him, but Alsia had vanished.

            “Darwin! Help!” Alsia was being dragged away by an invisible force. Darwin attempted to fly in her direction, but a thick wall of mist pushed him back.

            “NO!! ALSIA!!” he screamed.

            Alsia felt herself being dragged by her tail into a dark warehouse. The doors of the warehouse slammed in front of her and a chain was wrapped around the door handles. A lock fastened to the chain with a _click_.

            Alsia looked around the dark warehouse. Nets and crates were sorted around the room, but there appeared to be no-one in sight. Wooden boats hung from the ceiling, suspended by ropes. A cold draft blew in from an open window near the ceiling, causing the boats to sway slowly. This seemed to create a creaking noise.

_Creak, creak._

            Suddenly, the ropes from one of the boats snapped, and Alsia watched as this boat began to drop above her. She narrowly managed to jump out of the way. The boat smashed into pieces as it hit the wooden floor of the warehouse.

            Darwin looked around at the mist surrounding him with increasing frustration.

            “You may be able to trick everyone else, but I can sense your presence. Your cloak of specters will not make a fool out of me!” Darwin drew energy from the shadows beneath his wings, and vanished into the mist.

            Darwin re-appeared in front of the warehouse where Alsia had been dragged into. The door was locked, but he noticed an open window near the roof of the building. He flew up to the doorframe and peered inside. A row of boats hung near the rafters of the warehouse. The first boat had been cut free from its tethers. A dark figure sat in the last boat, near the far wall. It appeared to be a wheel of some sort, attached to an anchor…

            Alsia looked up at the boat above her. A vine creeped up to the ropes of the boat, which formed into a scythe. Darwin unleashed a volley of sharp feathers, aiming for the tethers of the last boat.

            Alsia braced for impact. A boat smashed on the ground; not on top of her, but near the back wall of the room. Coins and jewels spilled from the boat, scattering everywhere. Darwin leaped down from the window frame, rushing to Alsia’s side.

            “Darwin! Thank goodness you’re okay.”

            “I am glad you’re okay, too. But look.” He pointed to the figure sitting in the shattered remains of the boat.

            A Dhelmise emerged from the debris, emitting a harsh creaking sound as its wheel began to turn. Its eye glowed in a harsh light. It spoke in a deep, raspy voice, reminiscent of the creaking sound of its wheel.

            “Foolishness… I was about to let you two go without a scratch. Now that you have discovered my whereabouts, I have no choice but to silence you forever. Face my wrath… For I am the WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE!”

            The Dhelmise’s anchor came down and struck the floorboards, releasing a thick wave of mist. The room seemed to sway as if it were a wooden ship in the middle of a storm. The shifting of the room caused Darwin and Alsia to fall over. Howling could be heard from all directions as spirits appeared out of the floorboards and began to spin around them. Alsia attempted to cling to Darwin as she watched the swirling spirits in utter shock, but Darwin shook her off.

            Darwin picked himself up off the floor, trying to keep his balance. “Stand back,” he commanded. The feathers covering his body began to bristle on their own, and a mysterious shadow began to envelop him. He flew into the spirits flying around them, and vanished. A moment later, he re-appeared from nothingness and struck a blow on the Dhelmise. Darwin disappears into the spirits again, appearing on the other side to land another blow. This time, a vine appears before Darwin and wraps around him.

            “Oh, no. I’m not letting you try that again,” creaks the Dhelmise menacingly.

            Alsia jumps into the air, smacking away the vine and releasing Darwin. She uses the momentum gained from this move to spin the other direction and strike a blow on the Dhelmise. Seeing an opening, Darwin sends out leafage from under his wings. Alsia leaps into the air again, striking blow after blow with her flippers.

            The Dhelmise reels back and releases a powerful blast of mist that blows back Alsia and Darwin. The room jolts suddenly, ceasing to sway.

            “That is more than enough!” the Dhelmise creaks angrily. The tethers of the boats hanging from the ceiling are cut, causing the vessels to fall. Darwin and Alsia quickly move out of the way. The floorboards crack under the weight of the boats. The Dhelmise smashes its own anchor into the floor, causing it to give way. The floor collapses, dropping them all into a very dark basement area. Debris and darkness surround the room. The Dhelmise quickly fades into the shadows, and Darwin follows in pursuit. Alsia looks around in confusion as the two trade blows in the utter dark. Vines, leaves, and mist are occasionally brought into the light. Alsia considers jumping back into the fight when a bright light catches her attention. Vim has arrived, charging an attack from the upper floor.

            “ZZT. TARGET AQUIRED.” Vim clutches a small crystal with a lightning bolt on it. “INITIATING GIGAVOLT HAVOC.”

The light grows bright enough to distract Darwin, who is then struck in the side with a thick vine. He becomes bathed in light as he skids to the floor. Alsia rushes to his side.

“Vim is here!” she cries. “We need to get out of the way!” She attempts to drag Darwin away as the Dhelmise notices the brightening light.

            Vim accelerates forward, gripping the Dhelmise with both jaws and unleashing a lethal amount of electricity. The Dhelmise collapses, unable to withstand the strength of the attack. Vim spits out an electric web that entraps the Dhelmise.

            “ZZT. CRIMINAL HAS BEEN APPREHENDED. WHAT WAS YOUR NAME, AGAIN?”

            The Dhelmise responded weakly. “I… I am the Wheel of Misfortune… no longer…”

            “THAT IS NOT A VERY ORIGINAL NAME. WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE, YOU CURRENTLY FACE CHARGES FOR ROBBERY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. SUMMONING CHARJABUGS…” Vim’s wings begin flashing brightly. A large swarm of Charjabugs entered the room and surrounded the electric web. Their pointed jaws glowed as they attached themselves to the web. Despite their size, they managed carry the Dhelmise out of the hole in the ceiling with little effort.

            Vim turned back to Darwin and Alsia. With some effort, Darwin managed to pick himself up off the ground and dust himself off.

            “Are you hurt?” asked Alsia.

            “No, I’m fine. I only suffered some bruises.”

            “ZZT. THANK YOU TWO FOR AIDING ME WITH APPREHENDING THIS CRIMINAL. I WILL TALK WITH ZACHARY ABOUT A WAY TO REWARD YOU GENEROUSLY FOR YOUR EFFORTS. I HOPE THAT WE MAY CONTINUE TO HELP EACH OTHER IN THE FUTURE.”

            Darwin returned to his gentlemanly mannerisms. “It is our pleasure.”

            Alsia giggled at his response. “Hey, you don’t have to be _that_ courteous. We’re just here to help.” Darwin attempted to hide his blushing, but failed miserably. His face was somewhere between a smile and a grimace. Alsia couldn’t help but laugh at his expression.


End file.
